Baltimore County educators and staff wishing to attend community college can do so on the district's dime.

The first group to take advantage of the benefit is about to graduate after enjoying free books, tuition and fees, WBAL-TV 11 News Education Alert reporter Tim Tooten reported Friday.

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Debbie Ford, an administrative assistant at West Towson Elementary School, has spent three years taking courses after work earning a business certificate at the Community College of Baltimore County.

"I jumped at it, and I feel blessed to have been given that opportunity," said Ford, who is among almost 60 other employees who have earned 30 or more college credits.

Ford added, "It has just been a wonderful experience. It has helped me to be more able to do my job better, to have more confidence. I've found it all around to be a wonderful, wonderful experience."

Jakitra Williams, a cafeteria worker at Landsdowne High School, is also about to cross the stage. She said free college was an offer that was hard to pass up.

"Well, I thought, 'Yeah, that's a good opportunity, but let me make sure it's really for free,'" said Williams, who is also earning a business certificate from CCBC.

"I started off doing it because it was just an opportunity to better myself, but as I kept going to class after class, my kids got involved and my husband, and I was like, 'Wow, I am doing this for more than me. I got my whole family behind me,'" Williams said.

The county's school superintendent, Joe Hairston, said the free college program is a deal employees can't afford to ignore.

"We know that we have to educate our way into the future," Hairston said. "This program is unique to the extent that we are providing opportunities for career growth for employees with no college education. These are hourly wage employees."